Tag Archives: speaker

Moses and His Mouth

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Confidence

Is there any better confidence boost than being chosen by God himself? You wouldn’t think so, but despite the fact that Moses was singled out to lead the Hebrew slaves out of Egypt and hand-picked to receive the 10 Commandments on Mt. Sinai, this father of the faith urged God to bestow the honor on someone else. The problem? Moses wasn’t confident speaking in front of large groups and was thought to have a speech impediment. It’s surprising, then, to learn that he’s mentioned more in the Bible’s New Testament than any other Old Testament figure. Sometimes others see our potential much more clearly than we do.

The Value of “Thank You”

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There are certain times of the year when thankfulness seems more plentiful. Thanksgiving Day is a natural time to pause and count our blessings, while the Christmas holiday is a natural time to be thankful for the family, friends and celebrations that add meaning to our lives.

The rest of the year, most of us don’t say ‘thank you’ nearly enough.

I know the importance of those two little words, though. That’s why I make sure to say ‘thank you’ to all those who help me do what I do:

• Thank you for working alongside me.

• Thank you for your loyalty and belief in me.

• Thank you for your strength to get through the frustration and the tears.

• Thank you for your drive to work hard and be the best you can be.

• Thank you for your part in helping us grow by leaps and bounds.

Taking time out to let those around you know they are appreciated, that the work they do is noticed and valued, goes a long way. It can turn a promising newcomer into a top producer. It can make a committed team member really shine. It can make the people around you not just willing but eager to help you look your best.

Do you want to reach the top? Don’t forget to say ‘thank you’ along the way to those who are helping you achieve that goal.

Who can you thank today and for what? Don’t wait. Do it now.

Change Your Perception, Change Your Life

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We’ve all heard it said that ‘perception is reality,’ but have you thought about the fact that a lot of the adversity we face in our lives is rooted in our perception?

So, what is perception? Perception, defined, is ‘the process of using the senses to acquire information about the surrounding environment or situation.’ It is also an impression, an attitude or understanding based on what is observed through your thoughts.

So, what is your perception of your career, your life, your finances? Is your perception part of the problem or part of the solution?

If your perception of the economy right now and anything that is happening in the world is that it’s all on the skids and that buying and investing in anything at this time is ludicrous, that is your reality. There is nothing I could say, no evidence I could present to change your perception or the resulting reality.

Now, 80 percent of Americans worry about things that never happen. But every now and then, out of all of those hundreds of things we worry about, one actually happens, confirming the perception that what you worry about will happen. But a vast majority of the time, we worry about things that never come to be.

That worry spills over to the people in our lives, creating perceptions in others that may or may not be reality based. Negativity breeds negativity. Hopefulness breeds hopefulness.

The other day, I was out with my children, riding bikes, when we came across one of our neighbor’s sons. This was the conversation that took place between the two boys:

“Hey! Did you get a new bike?” the five-year old neighbor kid asked.

“Yes,” answered my son, enthusiastically.

“I wanted a new bike, but I couldn’t get one because of the enonomy.”

The ‘enonomy’? How could a five-year-old kid know about the economic impact on his desire for a new bike? Somewhere in his house, his parent’s perception of the economy trickled down to him.

Think about this: In the past eight hours, what have you communicated about your life, about your career? Whatever industry you’re in—whatever role you’re filling at present—what kind of perception are you operating under? Are you approaching what you do with a positive outlook? Are you focusing on the problem or on the solution? And how do you relate your perception to others?

Times are tough. Challenges are part of the journey. But if you change your perception, it will change the reality of your life.

What’s holding you back?

Charles Schwab is dyslexic, but that didn’t stop him from achieving success in the business world through the investment firm that bears his name. The 55th richest person in the U.S. according to the 2008 Forbes 400 list, Schwab started a foundation that provides support, encouragement and resources for families impacted by learning disabilities.

Changes to Underwater Refinance Plan Going Into Effect

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On October 24, 2011, President Obama announced plans to open up refinancing to more homeowners who are underwater. This proposal was a revision to the previous Home Affordable Refinance Program (HARP) and is now known as HARP 2.0.

Some of the major changes under HARP 2.0 include:

No underwater limits: Previously, borrowers whose loan-to-value limits were greater than 125 percent were ineligible to refinance. Now, borrowers can refinance no matter how far their homes have fallen in value.

Appraisals may be eliminated and underwriting relaxed for most borrowers: Being able to use this program may save time and money, and remove some of the anxiety from the refinancing process.

Deadline extended: Borrowers now have until December 31, 2013 to get refinanced under HARP 2.0.

These changes will be put into effect by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac the week of March 19, 2012.

It’s also important to note that the HARP 2.0 Program is for loans that were secured by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac prior to June 1, 2009.Currently, loans obtained after this date are not eligible for this program. You can determine whether your mortgage is owned by either Freddie Mac or Fannie Mae by checking the following websites:

Give me a call or send me an email if you want to learn more about these changes. I’m always happy to answer any questions you may have!


Mind Over Matter

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mindmatter

 

Before Disney was ‘Disney’

Walt Disney is remembered as one of the most successful film producers, directors, animators and entrepreneurs of all time. More than 40 years after his death, The Walt Disney Company owns, among other assets, five vacation resorts, 11 theme parks, two water parks, 39 hotels, eight movie studios, six record labels and 11 cable TV networks. In 2007, the company had an annual revenue of more than $35 billion annually. But not everyone believed in the future Academy Award winner. Walt Disney was once fired from a newspaper job because he ‘lacked imagination and had no original ideas.’
[Source: http://www.associatedcontent.com]

When I try to think ‘big picture’ about what makes people successful in business or in life, the first and most obvious part of the ‘big picture’ to me is this: It’s all in your head!

Meaning, it’s what’s in your head that sabotages you.Ourminds are powerful tools that can be used to both imprison and free us.To be successful,we have to be mentally strong enough to respond to whatever happens in a positive, pro-active way.

Mental toughness is a process. It just doesn’t happen overnight. It’s like any kind of strength training. You start out slowly, with smaller weights. You learn to pick and choose the options that work best for you, where you are.

When something terrible or unexpected happens, you may be prone to thinking, “You know, that’s just my luck. Stuff like this always happens to me.”

Or, even when things are rolling along smoothly, you may be one of those worriers—that personwho always assumes   happen in any given situation.

Self-image is a tough thing for all of us. We all have our own insecurities, our own sense of inadequacy, even failure. And if you really just want to try to hold on to what you have, that negative self-image will always speak louder in your head than anything else. People with half your ability will accomplish more in life only because they believe better things about themselves. Their perception makes for a more successful reality.

The beginning of mental conditioning is training yourself to recognize and acknowledge the strengths you already have. Everyone says, ‘If I could just live up to my potential,’ but to be honest, I don’t buy that.We’re always looking for abilities we wish we had, rather than recognizing the gifts and skills we already have.

Why do you suppose that is?

Everybody’s afraid of what others think.When you close your eyes, that person is in your head, saying what you think they think about you (and it’s never good). We’re always afraid that someone’s going to pull the curtain back and find out we don’t know as much as we think we know. That somehow we’re not as accomplished, smart or successful as they are.

Even when all the talent and know-how and drive and determination is already there to succeed, just a whiff of fear will kill it before it even begins.

That’s why it’s essential to ‘retrain’ your mind to work FOR you, not against you. Train it to take the time to gain perspective, to respond, not to react. To think: ‘What are my options here?’

Whatever the situation—whether it’s personal relationship trouble or challenges in business—you always have options.

Mentally, you lay it all out: What do I really want to do? What is the best way to respond to get what I want?What will be the best scenario short-term? Long term?

Each option comes with a given consequence, so you train yourself to think through those as well. Some of the consequences automatically rule out the option.

Once you narrow down the options, keeping ‘mind over matter’ means you learn to play to your best strength and go with the option you know you’ll be best at, the response that will work best for you.

If you see yourself as a person who already has the talent and skill and drive and determination to get things done…If underneath all that is a fundamental belief that you deserve to succeed in everything you work hard at…How and where and who you envision yourself to be is how and where and who you are…and will be.

Always…
be willing to try…
be actively learning…
lead by example…
believe you add value to whatever you do…
be open…
be contagious…

Is this you? If not, begin each day retraining yourself to think, speak and act in affirming, intentional and positive ways. To change your perspective is to change your life.

Smile Thieves

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People become what they think of themselves, good and bad.

It may sound strange to say so, but I want to talk about thieves. Not the bandit, shoplifter or pickpocket type, but the kind I like to call ‘smile thieves.’ We all know these people: You wake up happy and ready to conquer the day. You feel great, you look great. Then the smile thief appears and ruins your day with a comment like, ‘Isn’t that dress a little tight?’ or ‘What happened to your hair?’ These people rob you of your smile daily. They steal your confidence, your happiness and your zest for life on a regular basis.

Never give anyone the ability to change your day or mood. Challenges will come into your daily life and you will have to face them, but that’s different from willingly letting smile thieves wreak havoc. Often, these people are jealous of the happiness of others so they search for negatives in people like there is a reward for it.

People become what they think of themselves, good and bad. If you think of yourself as a beautiful, hard­working, successful individual and truly believe it, it will happen. If you see yourself as always struggling, living paycheck to paycheck, just getting by, that is what you will become.

You would never allow someone to reach in your pocket and steal money out of it, so why would you allow anyone to steal what is more important than money: your confidence. You have the power to make life great. If someone tries to change that with a negative comment, call them out on being a ‘smile thief.’

Whatever you do, don’t ever let anyone steal your smile.

5 or 53… It’s Easy

A smile is the most common facial expression and you can do it with as few as five pairs of facial muscles or as many as 53 (not surprisingly, it takes more effort to frown). Smiling also releases endorphins that make us feel better.

Write five affirmations that you can use each day to keep your confidence at an all time high.